Monday, July 23, 2007

Those of you who followed our kitchen remodel will be amused to hear that I’ve learned an interesting side effect of household renovations: as soon as you improve one aspect of your home all others look shabby by comparison. Our kitchen was no sooner done than we looked at our fireplace--which could only be described as a monolithic tribute to the 1970s—and knew it had to go.

So we started into the whole process again. We ripped out the rock wall, the mammoth oak mantel, the rock-and-tile hearth and even the fireplace itself and installed one of those newfangled gas fireplaces. Moore Heating ran the gas line and installed the fireplace then Artistic Finish did the finish work including our funky new custom maple mantel.

You can't see it well in the picture but the mantel is six feet wide and projects outward ten inches in an ellipsis.

Now we have flames with the flip of a switch and a way to keep alive should the power ever go out (which isn’t uncommon in the winter here). The granite tiles match our kitchen countertops and the maple mantel matches our cabinets. The only question is: what should I put above it?

The picture shows the mirror I had above the old fireplace but it's too silver and too rectangular. I need something round to go with the curve of the mantel and I need something with a punch of color. I’ve got lots of pictures up elsewhere (no more pictures) and don’t want to spend the money on an expensive print and custom framing job. What would be fun is something that uses the Sundried Tomato color from the nearby kitchen but is dramatic and different. Any ideas?

An oval mirror with a contemporary frame in red is the only thing I can come up with and it would be hard to find. Maybe a grouping of some kind? No, that wouldn't look good, I have the picture grouping to the left of the fireplace already, just out of frame of the picture. Maybe a red wreath of some kind? Or would that look too much like Christmas to leave up year round? I need your advice on this one. Candice Olson where are you when I need you??

27
comments:

Hmmm...well, you could always find a cheaper, unfinished oval mirror and do some custom painting...maybe with a sponged effect over the sundried tomato color. Or you could make an arrangement of some kind in a large/tall vase for the center. Regardless...it's a fantastic fireplace!

It is lovely. But I have a question. You stated two things "Now we have flames with the flip of a switch and a way to keep alive should the power ever go out..." that don't seem to go together. Does it come with a manual ignition system?

oh that's a beautiful new fireplace! funny thing is, looking at the picture of your old one, i thought somehow you snuck into my livingroom and took a picture of mine. we are fireplace twins! (well, we used to be.) anyway, looks great. some red would look great above the fireplace. for "ours" i did a giant oil painting with some really beautiful red flowers in it. a gorgeous flower arrangement would work too with some red flowers.and maybe some candlesticks.

WOW!! You have been busy. Very classy. I would extend the eye to the area beside the fireplace (planter,big Pier One stuff). I second the suggestion of an oval mirror with silver/red in the frame and changeable mantle "chatchkies" (sp?)repeating the red. Can you spell M-u-r-a-n-o? MOMM

That's really spiffy looking. I liked the old version, but the new one is sleek and stylish. You'll have to place an M&M pooping moose on the mantle there.

I've noticed on lots of those tv shows where they make over a room or redecorate, that the big flat tv goes above the fireplace now. I guess it's "in" but it seems to me too many major focal points together for my taste.